Degtyarev light machine gun. Description of the Degtyarev-RPD light machine gun

In terms of mass production and use during the Second World War, the Degtyarev light machine gun firmly holds third place, behind only the PPSh-41 and the Mosin rifle. This is explained not only by its widespread use, but also by its excellent tactical and technical characteristics.

History of the creation of RPD

After the Civil War, under the conditions of a technological blockade, the Soviet state had to create a lot from scratch. This was especially true small arms.

Soviet designers managed to overcome these difficulties and create many successful shooting systems. One of them was a machine gun designed by Vasily Degtyarev.

Degtyarev began drawing the first drawings of a new type of machine gun on his own initiative back in 1923. Army leaders were not at all supportive of his pioneering work. In addition, many at that time believed that light machine guns were a temporary phenomenon, and the future lay with large-caliber and easel systems. The situation changed when the designers Fedorov and Degtyarev personally managed to get an appointment with M. Frunze. They showed him the machine gun and the drawings, after which the commissioner gave the project the green light. The Degtyarev light machine gun was subsequently modified in 1926.

The first ten production samples were produced on November 12, 1927 at the Kovrov plant. And after military tests on December 21, 1927, it was adopted by the Red Army. Degtyarev's light machine gun became one of the first models small arms created in the USSR. It was widely used as a means of fire support for infantry until the end of World War II.

The DP machine gun, as well as its modernized version DPM, were withdrawn from service at the end of the war; they were widely supplied to countries friendly to the USSR. These machine guns were in service until the 1960s. They were used in Vietnam, Korea and other countries.

Design Features

The Degtyarev light machine gun is a magazine-fed device andwith automation basedbased on the removal of powder gases. The gas engine includes a piston with a fairly long stroke, as well as a gas regulator, which is located under the barrel.

The barrel was quick-change, partially concealed by a protective casing, and was equipped with a removable conical flash suppressor. However, the barrel could not withstand prolonged shooting: it quickly heated up, as it was thin-walled. Therefore, it was necessary to shoot in short bursts (combat rate of fire - up to 80 rounds per minute). At the same time, it was difficult to change the barrel in battle - you needed a special key and protection for your hands from burns.

The barrel was locked with two lugs, which moved apart when the firing pin moved forward. The return spring, which was under the barrel, overheated under intense fire and lost its elasticity. This was one of the significant but few shortcomings of the machine gun.

The power supply scheme involved the use of “plates” - flat disk magazines, where cartridges were located around the circumference, with bullets towards the center of the disk. This design ensured a fairly reliable supply of cartridges, but also had disadvantages: large mass and dimensions of the magazine, the possibility of damage to the magazine, inconvenience in loading and transportation.

The magazine capacity was initially 49 rounds, then 47-round cartridges were introduced, but with increased reliability.

Application

During combat operations and exercises, Degtyarev's light machine gun was serviced by two people: the shooter and his assistant. The second one needed to carry a box with 3 disks.

Performance characteristics

Experts call the characteristics of the Degtyarev machine gun the most successful pre-war design:

Caliber - 7.62;
Weight with magazine - 8.4 kg;
Total length - 1266 mm;
Magazine capacity - 47 rounds;
Sighting range - 1500 m;
Rate of fire - up to 80 rounds per minute.

Variants of the Degtyarev machine gun

Small-caliber DP- a prototype of the DP machine gun (5.6 mm caliber), which was designed in the mid-30s for training soldiers. It was designed by M. Margolin, but it was not put into service.
DP model 1938- a prototype of the Degtyarev system of 7.62 mm caliber and with a magazine designed by Razorenov and Kubynov for 20 rounds. After the tests, the weapon was transferred for storage, and then entered the museum of the Kirov plant named after. Degtyareva.
DP with muffler. During the Battle of Moscow in 1941, the troops equipped several DPs with a silencer, but mass production of this modification was not started.
DPM. Under the leadership of Degtyarev, in 1944, work was carried out to improve the DP in order to increase the controllability and reliability of the machine gun. The modification received the designation “Degtyarev Infantry Modernized”. In general, all technical, tactical and combat characteristics remained the same.
YES - "Degtyarev Aviation"- intended for installation on aircraft. The casing was removed from the machine gun, which protected the hands from burns. This improved cooling and reduced the size of the weapon. The stock was replaced with two handles, and a 60-round magazine was installed. The DA machine gun entered service in 1928. The twin version DA-2 was released in 1930. They were installed on airplanes

January 2, 2010 marked the 130th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding weapons designer Vasily Alekseevich Degtyarev (1880–1949). He handed over to our army a number of successful models of military small arms, but machine guns brought him the greatest fame. It so happened that the first model adopted by the Red Army was the DP light machine gun, the last was the RPD light machine gun, a new generation. But the RPD machine gun is interesting not only for this - it is essentially the first sample new system small arms, generated by the experience of the Great Patriotic War, and reflected the features of a new stage in the development of military small arms.

((direct))

To the key point further development small arms system was the creation of an assault rifle chambered for an intermediate cartridge. The idea of such a cartridge was developed a long time ago and in several countries, but most progress was made towards implementation in Germany and the USSR. The experience of the war clearly showed that the need for close interaction of infantry with tanks and artillery, on the one hand, and the increasing role of mortars in fire support for infantry, on the other, required ensuring maximum density of small arms fire at ranges of 400–600 m, and automatic group weapons - up to 800 m. At the same time, fighting in a variety of terrain conditions, in trenches, buildings, forests and mountains, placed special demands on the weight, size and maneuverability of weapons, the convenience of firing bursts from various provisions, including on board combat and transport vehicles.

Intermediate cartridge eliminates problems

The solution to these problems for the squad-platoon link could only be provided by a cartridge of intermediate power - between a rifle cartridge and a pistol cartridge. The first such serial weapons complex to find combat use, became a German machine gun ( assault rifle) МР.43 (St.G.43) under the 7.92 mm “kurzpatron” (7.92x33). Captured German machine guns, along with “kurzpatrons,” were handed over to specialists for study. The cartridge, of course, aroused the greatest interest.

The domestic 7.62-mm intermediate cartridge of the 1943 model was developed by N. M. Elizarov, P. V. Ryazanov, B. V. Semin and A. I. Zabegin. The term “intermediate” meant that in terms of size, weight, power and ballistic characteristics it occupies an intermediate position between rifle and pistol cartridges. Subsequently, such cartridges were called “automatic”. Characteristic feature A new weapon complex in the USSR was the development of not one, but several types of small arms for a new cartridge: to replace the PPSh and PPS submachine guns, an assault rifle with a detachable magazine and a fire mode translator was intended, a carbine of the 1944 model - a self-loading or repeating carbine with a permanent magazine, light machine gun DP - lightweight light machine gun. Mass release The 1943 model cartridge began in March 1944, which made it possible to quickly develop weapons for it. And a competition for a new lightweight light machine gun was announced already in 1944. V. A. Degtyarev, S. G. Simonov, G. S. Shpagin, A. I. Sudaev, F. V. Tokarev, A. I. Shilin and others took part in it. Degtyarev then headed KB-2 at the Kovrov plant No. 2, and great help in the work on the new design of the light machine gun, he was assisted by the design bureau employees - E. K. Aleksandrovich, V. N. Ivanov, P. E. Ivanov, V. V. Degtyarev (son of Vasily Alekseevich), master A. I. Kuznetsov, chief designer N. A. Bugrov.

“At the RPD, a variant of a curved muzzle attachment with a curvature of 45 degrees was tested”

After testing and modifications, one of Degtyarev’s prototypes was selected, designated RD-44. And already in August 1944, Degtyarev’s light machine gun and Sudaev’s assault rifle passed state tests. Kovrov Plant No. 2 produced an initial batch of 1,000 light machine guns. The readiness of samples of the new small arms system by the end of the Great Patriotic War can be judged by order No. 0114 of June 16, 1945, signed by Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, Army General N.A. Bulganin: “1. During the period July-August of this year, the Chief Inspector of Infantry will conduct military tests of the following prototypes of small arms:

a) 7.62-mm RPD light machine gun designed by Degtyarev for the 7.62-mm intermediate cartridge mod. 1943;

b) 7.62-mm AS-44 assault rifle designed by Sudaev for the 7.62-mm intermediate cartridge mod. 1943;

c) 7.62-mm belt-fed DPM light machine gun chambered for a standard rifle cartridge...

2. Conduct tests in the following military districts and fronts: Moscow, Central Asia, Transcaucasia and at the “Shot” officer improvement courses.

Military tests of the Degtyarev machine gun and the Sudaev assault rifle in the summer of 1945 also took place in the Leningrad Military District and in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany.

The machine gun was put into service under the designation “7.62-mm Degtyarev light machine gun mod. 1944 (RPD)" and became the first model officially adopted for service chambered for the 1943 model cartridge. The first experimental machine guns had separate cartridge boxes with a belt, but preference was given to a box attached to the machine gun: it made it possible to solve the problem of increasing the combat rate of fire while maintaining maneuverability and combat readiness, the cartridge box always remained with the machine gun, the machine gunner could quickly change positions and open fire without the help of a second calculation numbers. During the work, the cartridge itself, model 1943, underwent some changes: a bullet with steel core and a modified shape, special bullets were created, the sleeve was shortened. Testing of machine guns from other designers also continued. So, in 1947, machine guns of E.K. Aleksandrovich, M.M. Goryunov, V.I. Solovyov, V.K. Egorov were tested. However, the best results were achieved by the RPD, which, after appropriate modifications, continued to be produced at Kovrov Plant No. 2. In 1948, the plant produced a batch of 250 improved machine guns.

The secret of success is a new design

Despite some similar solutions, the RPD was not at all a “remake” of the old DP for a new cartridge, but was a new design.

The automatic machine gun had a gas engine with a gas chamber at the bottom of the barrel and a long stroke of the gas piston. A regulator with three numbered grooves installed in the gas chamber changed the amount of powder gases discharged to the piston and made it possible to ensure reliable operation of the automation in case of heavy contamination (groove of a larger cross-section) or to reduce the rate of fire (groove of a small cross-section). The bolt frame is integral with the gas piston rod and has a vertical post with a roller at the rear. The barrel bore was locked by moving the bolt lugs to the sides; they were moved apart by the bolt frame stand. The closing of the lugs, and therefore the unlocking of the barrel bore, was carried out by shaped recesses of the bolt frame as it moved backwards.

Tactical and technical characteristics of RPD

7.62x39 (7.62 mm model 1943) Cartridge
7.4 kg Machine gun weight without cartridges
9.8 kg Weight of a machine gun with a loaded cartridge box
1037 mm Machine gun length
520 mm Barrel length
735 m/s starting speed bullets
2134 J Muzzle energy
1000 m Sighting range
650–750 rounds/min Rate of fire
150 rounds/min Combat rate of fire
100 rounds belt capacity
2.4 kg Weight of cartridge box with tape

A return mechanism with a return mainspring was mounted in the butt tube, and in the trigger frame there was a trigger mechanism that allowed only automatic fire. The shot was fired from the rear sear with the shutter open. The striker, mounted in the bolt, was struck by the bolt frame with the front wall of its rack when moving forward under the action of the recoil spring. The non-automatic safety box blocked the trigger lever.

The sector sight, notched from 0 to 1000 m, had a mechanism for introducing lateral corrections. The front sight was mounted on a high base in the muzzle of the barrel.

A wooden butt and pistol grip were attached to the trigger frame. The shape of the butt allowed it to be held with the left hand when shooting from a support. The wooden forend was made up of two cheeks with metal gaskets and made it possible to either support it with the left hand from below, or lean on it from above when shooting “from the hip” from a belt (this technique of shooting in motion was practiced at the DP). An integral folding bipod was hinged on the muzzle of the barrel.

Stamping and spot welding are widely used in the design of the machine gun. The external surfaces of the metal parts of the machine gun were protected with an oxide coating.

The cartridges are fed from a non-scattered metal tape with an open link for 100 rounds with direct feeding of the cartridge into the chamber. The tape is made up of two pieces of 50 rounds each, connected by a cartridge. A tip is attached to one end of the tape for ease of loading the machine gun, and to the other there is a false link that ensures feeding last cartridge to the receiver. A round cartridge box with a tape was attached to the machine gun from below. The box had a hinged lid and a hinged handle for carrying it separately. The bracket for attaching the box to the machine gun also served as a guide, moving aside the spent cartridge case thrown down from the receiver. To carry several cartridge boxes, the crew had a special bag.

The lever-type tape feed mechanism was mounted in a receiver that folded up and down and was driven by a roller on the bolt frame stand. The shape of the cartridge case without a protruding rim allowed the use of direct feed of the cartridge from the receiver to the barrel chamber. The receiver windows were protected by spring-loaded shields. The receiver window in the stowed position was closed with a lid - the war experience forced us to pay more attention to protecting the receiver from dirt and small particles.

Fire is carried out in short bursts - 5 shots each or long bursts - up to 15 shots. With a non-replaceable barrel, intense fire without cooling was allowed up to 300 shots. The machine gun had good accuracy of fire: at a distance of 500 m, the median deviation of hits was 250–260 mm, at 1000 m – 550–630 mm, which was approximately 1.5 times better than the DP indicators.

The advantage of the smaller mass of the intermediate cartridge can be judged by the fact that the mass of the RPD cartridge box with a belt of 100 rounds is 0.4 kg less than the disk magazine of the old DP machine gun with 47 rounds. With 300 rounds of ammunition, the RPD weighed 11.3 kg - almost half as much as the DP with the same supply of ammunition. Not to mention the smaller size of the machine gun.

Continuous improvement

During the production process, the RPD underwent modernization based on operating experience:

the gas chamber was simplified, an open gap appeared between the pipe and the gas tube, which required lengthening the bolt frame piston;
on the muzzle of the barrel there is a thread for attaching a sleeve for shooting blank cartridges or attachments when cleaning weapons. Under normal conditions, the threads are protected by a small sleeve;
The reloading handle was changed: the new handle remained motionless when firing and had a folding handle. This made it possible to reduce the transverse dimensions of the machine gun and eliminate the cutout of the receiver;
There is an additional scale on the lower surface of the sight rail for easy installation of the sight when shooting while lying down or standing from a trench. The rear sight screw handwheel has been moved from right to left, the front sight mount has been changed;
the safety box is equipped with a tooth that prevents the bolt frame from moving backward when the safety is on: in early machine guns, such a displacement of the bolt frame led to it jamming;
The identity of the machine gun has been slightly changed.

The RPD also served as the basis for a number of experimental works. Thus, it was used to test a variant of a curved muzzle attachment with a curvature of 45 degrees - such deflecting nozzles aroused wide interest in the 40s and 50s for creating inconspicuous fire structures and auxiliary weapons for tanks and armored vehicles (for firing at the “dead zone” near the vehicle). In parallel with the development of the RPD in mass production, Degtyarev in 1946–1948 worked on a single machine gun firing from a bipod or from a light machine gun: the RPD was placed on a light tripod machine made of aluminum alloys (which was ahead of similar foreign work) with a round cartridge box with a tape on 100 rounds or square - for 200 rounds. But for a single machine gun the ballistics of the intermediate cartridge itself was insufficient. Attempts were made to use aluminum alloys in the design of the RPD itself, but tests at the GAU test site revealed a lot of wear on parts, which deteriorated them. technical condition and operational durability.

RPD, like a number of other samples Soviet weapons, has spread widely in socialist and developing countries. It was or is still in service with the armies of more than 30 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America. Copies of the RPD were produced in China under the designation Type 56 and Type 56-1.

Rare inclusions of Lewis and Shosh light machine guns did not make a difference. But at the same time, the modern concept of warfare required the presence at the squad and platoon level of mobile automatic weapons chambered for a rifle cartridge.

After the announcement of a competition for a light machine gun, which was supposed to replace foreign models, the eminent gunsmith, Vasily Alekseevich Degtyarev, got involved in the work. In 1923, work began on the creation of a modern light machine gun, which was to become the group weapon of the squad and platoon. Looking ahead a little, we will say that his work was crowned with success. DP - Degtyarev, infantry became the first light machine gun of the Red Army, on its basis tank and aviation modifications were subsequently developed.

History of creation

After an audit of the Red Army's weapons in the 1920s, commissions of auditors came to disappointing conclusions. The fleet of firearms was worn out, in addition, it consisted of dozens of different systems for various cartridges.

If everything was quite good in the field of personal weapons, foreign models were massively removed from service, replacing Winchesters and Arisakis with domestic rifle mod. 1895, the production of which was re-established in Tula. Nagan revolvers and Maxim machine guns were also produced in commercial quantities and there have been no problems with them yet.

But with light machine guns it was very bad. Fedorov assault rifles chambered for 6.5 mm Arisaka, British and American Lewis, and Shoshi. All this was thoroughly worn out. It required repairs, replacement and unnecessarily complicated logistics.

In 1923, a competition was announced to create a new light machine gun for the Red Army.

It was attended by eminent masters Fedorov and Tokarev, as well as V.A. Degtyarev. But in 1924, Tokarev’s design was adopted. At that time, the MT-25 machine gun based on Maxim was satisfied with the leadership of the Red Army, but Degtyarev’s machine gun was returned for modification. The MT-25 began to be prepared for release; moreover, small-scale production was established.

After a long and successful refinement, Degtyarev again presented his machine gun to the commission. This time, its characteristics completely satisfied the military and Degtyarev, and the infantry was accepted for the next tests.

After the January tests in 1927, the army immediately ordered a batch of machine guns for military testing, after which the machine gun was recommended to be put into production and at the same time adopted by the Red Army under the name DP. The number 27, indicating the year it was adopted into service, entered the history of the machine gun much later.

DP was produced at the Kovrov plant until 1944, before being replaced by DPM and later by RPD. After the war, outdated but still relevant machine guns were transferred to the troops of fraternal countries; the DP-27 fought in the jungles of Korea and Vietnam. It showed itself well in combat operations in the equator zone and desert-mountainous areas.

In 1944, a new weapon was developed, it was called the RPD - Degtyarev light machine gun, chambered for the 1943 model.

In the same year, a small batch was produced for military testing. The RP-44 or RPD machine gun had belt ammunition from a metal box suspended from the body of the machine gun with a standard belt for 100 rounds.

The same tape went to the Goryunov machine gun, model 1943. The machine gun differed from earlier models in the presence of a pistol grip, a volume-shaped butt for ease of holding it when shooting, and the presence of a wooden fore-end with stops to hold the body of the machine gun when shooting in weight.

In the future, after the adoption of the AK-47 assault rifle, it was the RPD that was the first handbrake to form a set with them. Subsequently, the RPD was replaced by . It just so happened that the requirements of unification forced the removal of an excellent machine gun from service.

Unlike the RPK, the RPD was not an enlarged copy of an assault rifle with a bipod, but a full-fledged machine gun chambered for an assault rifle cartridge. Significant ammunition, successful ergonomics and balance of the RPD made it unfamous. He fought in Vietnam, Africa and the Middle East.

DP design

The machine gun was created by classic scheme, with ammunition supplied from a disk magazine located on top of the receiver of the machine gun, magazine capacity - 47 rounds. The operating principle of the automation is gas removal. Locking the barrel with lugs.

The stock has a neck, a slightly modified type compared to the rifle stock.

For convenience when shooting, the machine gun had a removable bipod. It is worth noting their unsuccessful design; during transportation, the bipod tended to become detached and lost. To minimize the flash of a shot, the machine gun had a conical flame arrester.

The barrel was half located in a perforated casing, which was also a continuation of the receiver. The return spring was located under the barrel, which again caused complaints, since heating the barrel during shooting also heated the spring, which negatively affected its durability.

Sights from the front sight at the end of the barrel casing in the muzzle and the rear sight with a notch up to 1500 meters.

Operating principle when firing

The weapon is cocked by the bolt handle, which is located outside on the right under the magazine. The cocked gas piston is fixed at the end of the gas exhaust tube, the recoil spring is compressed, the bolt frame “sits” on the sear and holds the bolt with its thickening. The firing pin is hooked onto the vertical post at the end of the bolt frame. The safety holds the trigger.

When you grasp the neck of the butt, the safety key is pressed and the trigger is released.

When acting on the hook, it presses the sear down, which falls out of the groove of the bolt frame. The compressed spring in the channel presses on the piston and pulls the released bolt frame forward. The bolt frame begins to move, releasing the bolt, then the firing pin catches the bolt with its thickening and pushes it forward.

The bolt, having reached the magazine receiving window, lifts up the bar, which releases the cartridge. Next, the cartridge is caught by the bolt and sent into the chamber, the bolt rests against the barrel and stops moving. Only after this the trunk is considered closed. The bolt frame continues to move forward by inertia and pushes the firing pin further inside the bolt. The striker goes deeper and pushes the lugs apart, after which he hits the primer.

After the shot, powder gases follow the ejected bullet and enter the guide gas channel. The gas pressure is applied to the piston, which compresses the spring and at the same time pushes the bolt frame back. The bolt frame pulls the firing pin out of the lugs, and then, with its thickening, retracts the bolt.

The bolt moves away from the barrel, the cartridge case falls out, and the bar holding the new cartridge is released. The bolt frame “sits” on the sear (if the trigger is released). If the hook is pressed, then the bolt frame, having returned to its initial position and not encountering an obstacle, moves back under the action of a spring.

Tactical specifications DP-27 and operating features

Cartridge – 7.62x54 mm.
Empty weight – 9.12 kg.
Barrel weight – 2.0 kg.
Empty (loaded) magazine weight – 1.6 kg (2.7 kg).
The length of the machine gun with a flame arrester is 1272 mm.
Barrel length – 605 mm.
The initial bullet speed is 840 m/s.
Magazine capacity - 47 rounds.
Calculation – 2 people.

The DP-27 was used to support infantry with a machine gun squad as part of a platoon (according to the Red Army staff). The machine gunner's assistant carries a metal container with 3 magazines.

The machine gun itself had sufficient reliability and wear resistance, but despite this, a number of complaints were caused by almost “childhood” diseases of the machine gun:

removable bipod;
thin-walled trunk;
small capacity and large magazine dimensions;
inconvenient control of fire transfer;
placement of the return spring under the barrel.

Almost all of these shortcomings were corrected in 1944, when the machine gun was modernized, during which it received a pistol grip and an integral bipod, and the spring was moved to the rear of the receiver. The machine gun is known as the DPM.

The first combat use took place in the Chinese Eastern Railway (the Soviet-Chinese conflict in 1929 at Far East).

During the Soviet-Finnish War, captured weapons replaced the Finns' native machine guns.

The industry stopped the production of machine guns (Lahti-Saloranta) and put on an assembly line the production of spare parts for captured Soviet ones.

The machine gun was also mounted on motorcycles. Thus, it was possible to fire at low-flying targets, but for this it was necessary to stop the motorcycle, the shooter to come out of the cradle (stroller) and sit next to it for a steeper shooting angle.

DP-27 was produced by various friendly countries under license (Iran, China, etc.).

Participated in almost all hot spots on globe. Operating weapons were found in the Civil War in Syria (started in 2011) and in the military conflict in eastern Ukraine (since 2014).

Modifications based on DP-27

YES - Degtyarev, aviation. From December 1927 to February 28, development was carried out on an aircraft turret machine gun based on the infantry one. The barrel shroud was missing. The single-row magazine was replaced with a three-row one with a capacity of 63 rounds. The stock was removed and replaced with a folding shoulder rest and a pistol grip.

To collect shell casings, shell catchers were hung under the machine gun. The machine gun was installed in the turrets and swivels of bombers and attack aircraft.
DT - Degtyarev, tank. Developed by 1929, a more compact machine gun for installation in armored vehicles, as well as an aviation version, the machine gun underwent some changes in appearance.

I received an enlarged magazine for 63 rounds, the stock and casing were removed from it. Instead, they added a shoulder rest and a pistol grip. Bipods were absent in both aircraft and tank versions.

DPM is a disc-fed machine gun, but with a pistol grip, a reshaped butt, the spring has been moved to the rear of the receiver, and the bipod has become non-removable.

RPD is a new model of light machine gun chambered for the 7.62 mm intermediate cartridge.

The Degtyarev light infantry machine gun has gone through all the wars that the USSR has waged since its creation.

Used in a number of conflicts and beyond. Almost everywhere where intervention was noted Soviet soldiers, sang his song “tar” everywhere.

The machine gun was produced by China and the DPRK, and was in service in all states friendly to the USSR (including African ones). It is used in many conflicts to this day. You can often find tuned examples of it.

The DP is the most common magazine-fed machine gun. It uses a long stroke gas piston located under the barrel that operates two side locking valves. The DP fires from an open bolt. The barrel is quick-detachable and can be replaced during prolonged shooting. The return spring was located under the barrel, around the gas piston, and this was one of the few design flaws of the DP. Due to the available ammunition, which was in a belt and less suitable for automatic weapons, Degtyarev decided to use a flat magazine, which could feed those cartridges reliably, but was too heavy and inconvenient to carry. The question still remains open to Degtyarev, why overhead box magazines, the same as on the British Bren (which also used the old one in belt ammunition), were not adopted.

The following cartridges are used to fire the RP light machine gun:

cartridge with bullet mod. 1908 (light), intended to destroy enemy personnel at a range of up to 800 m; the bullet retains its destructive power at a distance of up to 2500 m;
cartridge with bullet mod. 1930 (heavy), intended to destroy enemy personnel; lethal force is maintained at a distance of up to 3500 m; for shooting it is used only in the absence of cartridges with a light bullet mod. 1908;
cartridge with armor-piercing bullet mod. 1930 (B-30), intended to destroy light armored targets (armored vehicles, tankettes) at a distance of up to 300 m;
cartridge with armor-piercing incendiary bullet mod. 1932 (B-32), intended to destroy armored targets (tanks, armored vehicles, wedges, firing points, aircraft) and to ignite fuel (gasoline);
a cartridge with a tracer bullet, intended for target designation, sighting and fire adjustment.

Based on his light machine gun, Degtyarev created a whole family of special automatic weapons. He successfully solved the problem of creating an aircraft turret machine gun, which in 1928. the machine gun under the designation DA entered service with the Red Army Air Force (removed from service in the mid-1930s due to the adoption of the ShKAS machine gun). DP is also the basis for Degtyarev’s creation of a tank machine gun with the adoption of which in 1929. For the arsenal of the Red Army, Degtyarev completed the creation of a complex of unified weapons: infantry, aviation and tank machine guns.

In 1932 Based on the experience of military operation, an improved trigger mechanism and a conventional non-automatic safety were introduced into the design of the DP; in order to improve the stability of the weapon during firing, a pistol grip was introduced, the bipod was strengthened and made permanent.

The DP machine gun was one of the first types of small arms developed after 1917 in the USSR. The DP was adopted as the Red Army standard in 1927 and served with distinction until the end of World War 2. It was a strong and reliable weapon, but had certain shortcomings, so, based on the experience gained in battles during the Second World War, it was slightly modernized in 1943-44 and became the DPM.

In 1944, under the leadership of Degtyarev, work was carried out at plant No. 2 to improve the DP machine gun, namely to increase the reliability and controllability of the machine gun. The new modification received the designation DPM(“Degtyarev infantry modernized”). The problem with overheating of the recoil spring was eliminated (it was installed in a special tube in the trigger frame above the butt), the trigger mechanism was improved, and it became possible to change the barrel in the firing position. The transfer of the recoil spring to the trigger frame caused design changes individual parts and mechanisms of a machine gun. A new pistol grip, a reshaped buttstock and a more stable integral bipod of a new design provided greater comfort. In general, all combat, tactical and technical characteristics remained the same. CSA was used Soviet troops until the end of the Second World War.

One of the proposed changes was to replace the heavy and awkward flat magazine with a belt-fed one. This definite improvement was not made until 1946, when an improved version was put into service Soviet Army like RP-46 (Company Machine Gun). The RP-46 filled the gap between the RPD and heavy machine guns.

This machine gun was redesigned to have a pistol grip instead of the previous semi-pistol grip. Some other improvements were also made, most notably a stronger bipod and manual safety, the RP-46 was used as a front line weapon until the 1960s, when it was gradually replaced by the first Soviet Kalashnikov general purpose machine gun, the PK. All these weapons (DP, DPM and RP-46) were widely exported to the countries of the Warsaw Union. The RP-46 was also manufactured in other countries, primarily in China - under the name Type 58 machine gun.

The RP-46 is similar to the DPM in many ways and differs mainly in that it had a heavy barrel (also quick-release), a carrying handle, and a module for belt feeding. To minimize changes and maintain the ability to use old flat-magazine DP/PDM, the feed belt has been designed as additional module. The feed is controlled through a large bracket on the right side, which was connected to the charging handle as the charging handle was rigidly mounted to the bolt carrier. A similar method was used on the heavy machine gun, which was also changed from the original flat magazine to a belt-fed one. The RP-46 used non-disintegrating metal belts designed for the Goryunov SG-43/SGM medium machine gun. The belts were available in 200 or 250 different cartridges and were carried in metal boxes.

Soviet machine gun DPM

Despite the fact that the MT light machine gun was adopted by the army, by 1925 the problem of equipping the armed forces with domestic light machine guns still could not be solved. As before, the troops used the most various models produced in many countries around the world. True, the number of these weapons quickly decreased over time.
To cope with the problem of equipping the army modern weapons, in 1921, a design bureau for automatic small arms was created in Kovrov. It was headed by the internationally recognized weapons specialist Vladimir Grigorievich Fedorov, and his deputy was the famous designer Vasily Alekseevich Degtyarev. Every year the team was replenished with capable engineers. Soon the design bureau became a leading center in its field.
Even before the official decision to create the bureau, Fedorov and Degtyarev began working on new machine gun projects in the experimental workshop. Although all of these models, chambered for the 6.5 mm cartridge, had interesting designs, they never went beyond prototypes. The right way was elected only in 1924, when the decision appeared
on the use of a standard 7.62 mm Mosin rifle cartridge.
At the same time, it was finally possible to solve the problem of creating a light machine gun that meets the needs of the army and is suitable for mass production. Degtyarev developed not just an infantry machine gun, but an entire weapon system. Later modifications could be installed on aircraft and tanks. All of them were light in weight and simple in design, containing few moving parts.
In 1923, a prototype was presented - with belt power and on two small wheels, without a shield. The following year, a modernized model appeared with a flat disk magazine on the bipod. After testing, which took place on June 22, 1924, the command recommended that it be thoroughly tested.
In the summer of 1927, in comparative tests, in which, along with the Degtyarev machine gun, almost all foreign weapons used at that time took part, as well as the German Dreyse 13 machine gun and Tokarev MT, the Degtyarev model demonstrated its obvious superiority. For 20 thousand shots it worked flawlessly, and after 40 thousand shots the failure rate was no more than 0.5. Nevertheless, the sample has undergone further improvement. Degtyarev slightly improved, for example, the bolt, gas piston, firing pin and cartridge ejector. Interesting in this regard is Fedorov’s report dated May 29, 1930 on testing the machine gun for durability. The most important parts were subjected to a load of 25 to 30 thousand rounds, and the rest - from 75 to 100 thousand rounds.
According to Soviet literature, the creator of this machine gun was called the “Russian Maxim” across the border.
Under the name DP1928, the machine gun became the standard weapon of the Soviet infantry. There are different data about the time of its adoption into service. In addition to 1928, which is probably true, 1927 and 1929 are also mentioned. This obviously means the year of testing and the year of the start of mass production.
The DP 1928 light machine gun operates on the principle of using powder gas pressure, has a fixed barrel and rigid engagement of the bolt with the barrel. When the bullet passes the hole in the barrel, part of the powder gases enters the gas chamber through the hole and moves the piston connected to the bolt in the rear direction. In this case, the bolt is disconnected from the barrel and the weapon is automatically reloaded. By using special tool gas pressure can be adjusted.

About a third of the barrel protrudes from the casing, which is equipped with cooling holes. There is a cone-shaped flame arrester on the barrel. The first series of machine guns had cooling fins on the barrel, but then they were abandoned. The barrel is replaceable, but this complex operation requiring special tools. Z
Ammunition is supplied from a disk magazine. Under spring pressure, the cartridge is fed down through the disk slot. The capacity of such a disk is 49 rounds, but for correct feeding it is filled with only 47 rounds.
At a time when no army had a light machine gun with such a large ammunition capacity other than the Lewis model, the Soviet armed forces had a weapon with 47 rounds. Subsequently, this turned out to be a decisive factor, although from a tactical point of view such ammunition was still insufficient. In addition, loading the magazine turned out to be a rather difficult process, especially in combat conditions, and the flat magazine body was almost impossible to protect from damage.
The machine gun fires only continuously. The practical rate of fire is from 80 to 100 rounds/min. The maximum flight range of the bullet is 3000 m. The safety is located near the trigger. By pressing index finger on the trigger, the shooter simultaneously presses the safety with his middle finger, unlocking the trigger. As soon as he releases the stock neck, the trigger is locked. The sector sight is installed at a distance from 100 to 1500 m in increments of 100 m. The length of the sight line is 616 mm. The machine gun is equipped with a bipod mounted under the gas channel. If necessary, the bipod can be folded along the trunk for transportation.
This machine gun had advantages in the form of maneuverability, light weight, strength and reliability of design. However, there were also disadvantages, for example, rapid wear of some parts of the bolt, heating and low service life of the recoil spring. The bipod did not give the machine gun sufficient stability. The military expressed wishes to increase the magazine capacity.
The biggest shortcomings have been eliminated. After numerous experiments, designer Shilin modernized the machine gun, and in 1944 an improved model of the Degtyarev DPM light machine gun was presented. This model had a safety lever, a pistol grip behind the trigger and a lightweight stock. During the attack, the shooter could hold the machine gun suspended at his hip. The recoil spring was also improved. It became stronger and was housed in a protective tube behind the bolt, meaning it was no longer exposed to extreme heat. The walls of the trunk became thicker and stronger. The bipod was moved back, which gave greater stability.
However, the ammunition supply system could not be improved. At first, a belt with a large supply of cartridges was provided, but this problem could only be solved when creating the RP 46 company machine gun.
Modifications of the Degtyarev light machine gun include those that appeared in 1928 and 1930 aircraft machine guns DA and DA 2 (coaxial), as well as the DT tank machine gun and the modernized DPM 1944 light machine gun, adopted in 1929. Thus, at the end of the twenties, the Soviet armed forces had not only a standard infantry light machine gun, but also an entire weapon system, although in insufficient quantities.

Dp-27

Aviation machine guns with a pistol grip, a modified butt and a 63-round magazine were installed mainly on bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Tank machine guns were equipped with a retractable butt, a more massive barrel, a diopter sight and the same magazine as aviation weapons. Being equipped with bipods, they were also used in infantry and partisan formations.
In international specialized literature contains unanimous positive assessments regarding the DP 1928 and DPM 1944 machine guns. They are considered reliable and effective weapon, having a simple design. The same applies to their production. Although they were made primarily on metal-cutting machines, the cost of their production was low. Some authors consider these machine guns to be the simplest and cheapest in the world at that time.
The first version of DP 1928 was used during civil war in Spain from 1936 to 1939 by government troops and international brigades. They performed well in 1938-1939 in battles with Japanese aggressors on Lake Khasan and Khalkhin Gol, as well as during the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940.

Degtyarev machine gun - DP 28

During the Second World War, Degtyarev machine guns proved their reliability on all fronts. In the most difficult situations, in heat and cold, in a dirty state, they shot accurately and accurately. German troops used weapons captured as trophies at the first opportunity. According to the classification of the Wehrmacht weapons department, they were listed as light machine guns model 120 (g) and 120/2 (g).
It is not known exactly how many machine guns of this type were manufactured. Soviet sources report that by January 1928 they produced a trial series of 100 units, and in 1928 the industry received an order to produce 2,500 units. The following year, this order grew to 6,500 units, of which 4,000 were infantry. 2000 aviation and 500 tank machine guns.
There is information about measures taken by the military command to establish mass production. It was, first of all, about technological aspects, about the supply of the necessary grades of steel, about the interchangeability of parts of weapons of different models, and in general about the constant improvement of production quality. For this purpose, extensive tests were carried out at that time. They were followed by design changes aimed at improving weapons. Several experimental models of 1931, 1934 and 1938 are known. During World War II, attempts were made to equip these machine guns with cartridge belts. However, the tests carried out by Degtyarev in 1943 ended in failure. Direct rod magazines also turned out to be unsuitable.

As for testing light machine guns, additional clarification is required here. The specialists were not entirely satisfied with the standard machine gun, either from a technological or tactical point of view. Technical shortcomings were characteristic, first of all, of the bolt and the recoil spring. They were eliminated in the modernized version of the DPM 1944. Tactical shortcomings were expressed, first of all, in small ammunition.
The troops needed a maneuverable company machine gun with great firepower. Therefore, its ammunition should have been comparable to heavy machine guns. These weapons of the first line of fire were to be complemented by those operating on the second line and on the flanks heavy machine guns. Despite the rather large magazine capacity, Degtyarev’s machine gun could not cope with this tactical task.
Therefore, in 1943, the command announced a competition, which was intended to supplement the standard machine gun new model. Soviet literature contains information about several experimental models, which, in addition to the Degtyarev machine gun, included samples from S. G. Simonov and the then little-known designer M. T. Kalashnikov. At first all these prototypes were designed for a cartridge from a Mosin rifle of 7.62 mm caliber. However, since at this time a new
shortened cartridge M 43, the designers' efforts soon concentrated on it. The most active designers, in addition to those already mentioned, included A. A. Dubinin, P. P. Polyakov, A. I. Shilin and A. I. Sudaev.
Their numerous experimental models, created either independently or as part of teams, were refined and improved after careful testing. As a result, samples of weapons of the required quality appeared. One of them was the RP 46 company machine gun, designed for a standard cartridge from the M 1908/30 rifle, and the other was a light machine gun Degtyareva RPD chambered for the shortened M 43 cartridge.
Although this machine gun was ready for mass production even before the start of the war, it was put into service only after 1945. Later it was added the whole system the most modern machine guns, the first of which was the Kalashnikov RPK light machine gun.
Thus, the Degtyarev machine gun remained a standard weapon from the late twenties until the end of the Second World War. This was partly due to the lack of capacity to produce the models mentioned above that were ready for mass production.
Since the appearance of the DP 1928 machine gun, the army's need for this type of weapon has been constantly growing. Despite the constant increase in production rates, there were not enough machine guns until 1942-1943. Even taking into account the fact that total machine guns from 1929 to 1933 increased by more than 7.5 times, and among the 105 thousand machine guns produced from 1933 to 1941, a significant part were DP 1928, the shortage was very noticeable. On the Western Front alone, by the end of September there was a shortage of approximately 3,800 units. A sharp increase in production helped cope with the shortage. In 1944, more than 120 thousand Degtyarev infantry machine guns and about 40 thousand tank machine guns were manufactured. Since these data were not taken from Soviet sources, there is no way to double-check them or compare them with materials from Soviet authors. It is stated that the annual production of hand, machine and heavy machine guns since 1942 averaged 450 thousand units. It is emphasized that from July 1941 until the end of the war, USSR industry supplied 78 times more machine guns to the front than royal Russia during the years of the First World War.
The DP machine gun and its modernized version, the DPM, were in service with the GDR army. Later they were supplemented with Degtyarev RPD and then RPK machine guns. In addition to the USSR, DP machine guns were produced in Poland (DP, DPM) and in China under the designation Model 53.

The Dyagterev machine gun was supplied with a box or pouch for carrying additional magazines and a box or bag for accessories. Accessories included a screwdriver key for disassembling and assembling the machine gun, a device for clearing gas passages, a composite cleaning rod, a rod with a bristle brush, a cartridge case extractor and two drifts for pushing out the pin axes.

The iron magazine box had a lid that opened 180 degrees and a canvas handle for carrying. A canvas pouch with a flap that closed with a wooden button was also used for stores. Inside the pouch there were metal mounts for disks. Three magazines for a Degtyarev machine gun were placed in a box or pouch. Accessories for servicing the machine gun were placed in a metal box or canvas bag.

Characteristics: DP 1928 light machine gun
Caliber, mm........................................................ .....................................7.62
Initial bullet speed (Vq), m/s............................................ .840*
Weapon length, mm................................................... ...........................1266
Rate of fire, rds/min.................................................... ...............600
Ammunition supply........................................disc magazine
for (49) 47 rounds
Weight in charged state, kg...................................8.40
Weight of a full magazine, kg................................................... .........2.82
Weight of empty magazine, kg................................................... ..........1.64
Cartridge................................................. ...................................7.62x54 R
Barrel length, mm................................................... ...........................605**
Rifling/direction................................................... .....................4/p
Sighting firing range, m....................................1500
Effective firing range, m...................................800
* Cartridge with a light bullet.
** Free part - 532 mm.